Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-06
A STARTLING PHENOMENON.
Death Doubiy Photographs ItseIf Within
a Tomb


vi all curious incidents related in pubic
| prints or otherwise none to me seem more
curious and inexplicable than the one l
shall here attempt to describe exactly as il
was given TO me few weeks ago BIZ three
! OF the parties to whom / shall refer. The
iact-ior it is fact beyond all question
Is so novel and inconceivable that would
not dare to state it as truth we're it not
| fully substantiated.
In June, 1883, Dr. A. II. Herring. after
lingering illness, died at Red Land. in
Bosier parish, La He was about 40 years
OF age, and had been in full practice there
as physician for several wears. Aware
OF his condition, he requested that his BODY
after death be placed in temporary brick
vault above ground, and at some proper
time be carried to Georgia and inferred in
the burial ground of his family. Purposinp
10 carry out his wishes, the doctors body
was put by friends into metallic case,
which was closed hermeticallv, in the
usual way, and the case placed in box of
pine plank.
a vault of brickwork above ground hay-
ing been prepared to receive It, the box
containing the casket was inclosed, and the
~hoie covered (outside) with plastering
OF lime cement. The bricks on top of the
vault were held in position by rough
pine plank beneath-the plank being sup
ported on the inside by short triangular,
roof-shaped pieces of timber, and thus
when completed the whole exterior was
prick, covered with cement, the interior
having Immediately and directly above
and over the body, first, the metallic lid of
the casket, next the pine plank of the box
top, and above that the rough plank sup
porting the brick roofing. So disposed of
the body remained for two years and
hall, when the family, for some reason,
concluded not to remove it to Georgia but
have it buried under ground, as is the Gus
tom IN that highland country. and Samuel
A. Boggs, a neighbor and friend of the
family, was requested to sliperintend the
final interment in the Red Land Gem
etery.
This he did, and it was from him. his
wife and A. g. Davis obtained what will
now be stated, number of other persons
having also seen what was seen by them,
OF whom ] will only mention Mr.. and Mrs.
q. w. Phelps and Mr.. and Mrs. John &.
Allen, all of Red Land. Breaking up the
cement, the bricks on top of the vault
were thrown aside, and the supporting
framework of timber lifted off. The under
side OF the plank was found to be wet with
moisture and discolored by time two and
n half years., and on this damp surface Of
rough plank was seen the entire figure of
the buried man, in shadings representing
every part of the body, not such picture
as made the features recognizable, but
clear and distinct outline of the whole
body, size and shape. The large veins
were shown in full relief, rs is sometimes
observed on the hands OF living subjects,
and of darker color than the heshy parts.
while the lungs were represented in light
pinkishness and the brain appeared in
whittier color. None of the other vital
organs were traced in colors, though the
bony structure in part, including the ribs.
was outlined.
On exposure 10 the air ard sunlight the
whole figure disappeared SO soon as the
moisture dried out, except the veins and
lungs. The lungs also went quickly, but
the veins remained permanently, and were
observed on the plank weeks afterward,
and on test could be raised from the plank
with the point of knife and found TO be
a tibrous or spongy formation, possessing
such adhering qualities as prevented their
being rubbed into dust or powder The
pine box holding the casket was also wet
and discolored, and on the under side of
the top plank, when taken of, was found
second picture, in shape and size as the
one described, but IN this the veins were
not traced as in the other, nor any Of the
vital organs shown in colors OF the two
the picture at the top OF the vault, with
the greatest amount Of solid material in
tervening, was most complete The face.
as seen through the glass in front of it,
was well preserved. BY what law of ma
ture's chemistry it must be law of
some sort-a dead body under such circum-
stances could so picture itself may perhaps
be worth inquiry by scientific investiga-
tors, who seek to obtain from the imagined
or may be from the before unimagined
new truth usable by the living-Cor. NJ 0.
Pcdyuns